Energy Transition Research Articles

Financial risk and renewable energy: exploring the influence of urbanization and natural resource rents across 112 countries

Abstract This study investigates the intricate relationship between financial risk and renewable energy consumption, incorporating the moderating effects of urbanization and natural resource rents. Utilizing a global panel dataset comprising 112 countries, the study applies econometric techniques, including fixed-effects models, moderation effect models, and panel threshold models, to investigate how varying levels of financial risk impact renewable energy consumption across diverse economic and environmental contexts. The results indicate that financial risk significantly suppresses renewable energy consumption, an effect that is further exacerbated by urbanization. At the same time, natural resource rents partially mitigate the adverse impact of financial risk. The moderating roles of both urbanization and natural resource rents jointly shape the overall effect of financial risk on renewable energy consumption. Additionally, the study identifies a single-threshold effect, where variations in urbanization and natural resource rents significantly influence the suppressive effect of financial risk. These findings emphasize the need for tailored financial strategies and urban planning policies to advance the global energy transition. The findings provide empirical support for policymakers seeking to balance economic stability with environmental sustainability, particularly in the context of emerging economies and regions heavily dependent on natural resources.

Research on Long-Term Effects of Renewable Energy on Different Countries’ Economic Growth and Optimization Strategy

Given the pressing need for sustainable development amidst climate change, the transition to renewable energy is critical for enhancing energy security and fostering economic resilience. This research examines the long-term effects of renewable energy on economic growth, with a focus on China as a pivotal case study. Although the development of renewable energy is beneficial to China in many aspects, such as the economy, trade balance, and employment, there are still several key problems in the process. High initial costs, technological and infrastructure limitations, global market fluctuation, and policies are the main focuses. To optimize the benefits of renewable energy, this study suggests establishing an initial economic support fund to facilitate the implementation of the policy, maintaining the current trend of increasing innovation investment and using diversified market strategies. Ultimately, the findings underscore the importance of renewable energy as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth, offering valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in China and beyond and highlighting the role of leadership in the global energy transition.

Energy Transition and Public Finances: A Projection Framework for Switzerland

Energy Transition and Public Finances: A Projection Framework for Switzerland

Sustainable Energy Transition: Converting Textile Water Sludge (TWS) to Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) in Taiwan

Sustainable Energy Transition: Converting Textile Water Sludge (TWS) to Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) in Taiwan

Future-Proofing EU-27 Energy Policies with AI: Analyzing and Forecasting Fossil Fuel Trends

The energy sector plays a pivotal role in economic development, societal progress, and environmental sustainability, yet heavy reliance on fossil fuels remains a major challenge for achieving climate neutrality. Within this context, the European Union (EU-27) has committed to ambitious climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, making it a critical region for studying energy transition. This study analyzes the determinants of fossil fuels’ share (SFF) in final energy consumption at the aggregate EU-27 level over a 19-year period (2004–2022) and forecasts trends in the region’s energy transition through 2030. Using a random forest (RF) regressor, complex nonlinear relationships between SFF and six key predictors—GDP, population, industrial production, CO2 emissions, renewable energy share (SRE), and energy intensity—were modeled. Model interpretability was enhanced through Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and partial dependence plots (PDPs), revealing CO2 emissions and SRE as the dominant predictors with opposing effects on SFF. Interaction effects highlighted the synergistic role of emission reduction and renewable energy adoption in minimizing fossil fuel reliance. GDP, while less influential overall, exhibited a significant negative relationship with SFF during early growth stages. Forecasts indicate a steady decline in fossil fuel reliance, from 1.8% in 2022 to 1.33% by 2030, supporting the EU’s climate objectives by emphasizing the importance of renewable energy adoption and emission control. This study demonstrates the transformative potential of machine learning and explainable AI (XAI) techniques in providing actionable insights to advance the EU-27’s sustainability journey.

The Future of Wind Power Plants in Indonesia: Potential, Challenges, and Policies

Energy is one of the essential human needs that plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable development. Indonesia is among the countries that are highly focused on developing renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero emissions. In addition, the government has launched various policies and programs to promote the use of renewable energy, such as increased investment in biomass, geothermal, and solar power generation. Wind energy stands out as a sufficient, widely available, and an environmentally friendly alternative in renewable energy. In 2021, the Indonesian Energy Outlook highlights that Indonesia has an energy potential of 154.9 gigawatts (GWs). It is associated with minimal emissions of greenhouse gases during its operation and does not demand vast tracts of land. However, the actual installed capacity of wind power plants is at a modest 157.41 megawatts (MWs). Meanwhile, the targeted capacity is 255 MWs for 2025. One significant factor contributing to this lower-than-expected capacity is a lack of in-depth research into the potential of wind energy. Consequently, the primary aim of this paper is to conduct a thorough examination of the wind energy potential in Indonesia. This includes an analysis of the current state of both existing and upcoming power plants, as well as a review of recent studies conducted by Indonesian researchers on wind turbines. Furthermore, this paper explores the government program to encourage the sustainable development of wind power plants. It also explains various aspects including the untapped wind energy potential, the interference in developing wind power plants, and the strategy to harness the full potential of abundant renewable resources in Indonesia. Through an in-depth investigation of the potential of wind energy, this review aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the current conditions and prospects of wind power plants in Indonesia as well as contribute to a more accurate mapping of wind energy potential and more targeted development, specifically in remote areas, outer islands, and borders. The results obtained are expected to support Indonesia’s energy transition toward more environmentally friendly and sustainable renewable energy sources, thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Temporality and justice in mining impacted regions

Abstract In response to the accelerating impacts of climate change, urgent action is required to decarbonise our socio-technical systems based on coal and oil. Frequently, these shifts involve decisions made in distal capital cities, or distant countries, that have significant impacts on resource-based communities In this paper we focus on temporal justice; the disjuncture between the timeframes of urgent decisions about transition options to meet policy objectives, and the timeframes experienced by residents of regions affected by the impacts of those decisions, and how those impacts fit within trajectories of change in resource-extracting regions. Here we draw on six case studies of regions located in Australasia (Hunter Valley, Latrobe Valley, West Coast New Zealand) Canada (Alberta) and Africa, (Ghana, Zimbabwe). Each of these is at a different point in the mine lifecycle, from places where residents mourn the past glory days, regions in where closure is imminent and regions wary of the rush to start new mines for ‘energy transition minerals’. Collectively, our case studies demonstrate the complexity of transitions and how multiple forms of justice (environmental, procedural, recognition, restorative, distributive and intergenerational) shape the key issues and required responses to transition challenges. The capacity for local communities to respond to these changes is impacted by factors of embedded identity, agency in the transition process and legacy of past injustices. Each of these factors take time to work through. Thus, there is a disconnect between the urgency of transition and the time required for host communities to become effective participants in their own transition.

Enhancing solar pv efficiency through comprehensive component-level understanding

This study examines the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems connected to the electric grid, identifying key factors from solar irradiation capture to energy injection. Using PVSyst, various scenarios were analyzed, focusing on module orientation, tilt angle, shading, soiling, inverter efficiency, electrical losses and availability. Results highlight that understanding local system conditions is essential for maximizing efficiency. The research underscores the importance of monitoring, preventive measures, and advanced technologies to enhance PV system reliability and financial returns, contributing to the sustainable energy transition.

Numerical Investigation of Transmission and Sealing Characteristics of Salt Rock, Limestone, and Sandstone for Hydrogen Underground Energy Storage in Ontario, Canada

With the accelerating global transition to clean energy, underground hydrogen storage (UHS) has gained significant attention as a flexible and renewable energy storage technology. Ontario, Canada, as a pioneer in energy transition, offers substantial underground storage potential, with its geological conditions of salt, limestone, and sandstone providing diverse options for hydrogen storage. However, the hydrogen transport characteristics of different rock media significantly affect the feasibility and safety of energy storage projects, warranting in-depth research. This study simulates the hydrogen flow and transport characteristics in typical energy storage digital rock core models (salt rock, limestone, and sandstone) from Ontario using the improved quartet structure generation set (I-QSGS) and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The study systematically investigates the distribution of flow velocity fields, directional characteristics, and permeability differences, covering the impact of hydraulic changes on storage capacity and the mesoscopic flow behavior of hydrogen in porous media. The results show that salt rock, due to its dense structure, has the lowest permeability and airtightness, with extremely low hydrogen transport velocity that is minimally affected by pressure differences. The microfracture structure of limestone provides uneven transport pathways, exhibiting moderate permeability and fracture-dominated transport characteristics. Sandstone, with its higher porosity and good connectivity, has a significantly higher transport rate compared to the other two media, showing local high-velocity preferential flow paths. Directional analysis reveals that salt rock and sandstone exhibit significant anisotropy, while limestone’s transport characteristics are more uniform. Based on these findings, salt rock, with its superior sealing ability, demonstrates the best hydrogen storage performance, while limestone and sandstone also exhibit potential for storage under specific conditions, though further optimization and validation are required. This study provides a theoretical basis for site selection and operational parameter optimization for underground hydrogen storage in Ontario and offers valuable insights for energy storage projects in similar geological settings globally.

Multicluster Distributed Optimization Strategy for Turbine Wake Environment

As a crucial component of modern energy systems, wind energy plays a significant role in energy transition. In traditional wind power systems, mutual interference between wind turbines leads to wake effect, adversely impacts the power generation efficiency of wind farms. Herein, a multicluster distributed optimization strategy based on wake‐DBSCAN, specifically designed for environments affected by wake interference is proposed. First, clustering analysis on the wind turbine layout and wind conditions to establish a foundation for efficient distributed computation is performed. Based on the clustering results, wake analysis is conducted to plan and optimize the operational strategy for each wind turbine cluster, resulting in a distributed optimization strategy for their operation. Additionally, simulation experiments are conducted on micrositing and time‐varying wind conditions using real‐world data from a wind farm in the Arua region. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the computational efficiency of wake optimization, while ensuring the effect of the wake optimization algorithm in actual wind farms as much as possible, which is more in line with the wake optimization needs of actual wind farms. The algorithm proposed in this article provides valuable insights into wind turbine operation and maintenance under time‐varying conditions.

Room for Sea-Level Rise: Conceptual Perspectives to Keep The Netherlands Safe and Livable in the Long Term as Sea Level Rises

An accelerated sea-level rise (SLR) may threaten the future livability of the Netherlands. Three perspectives to anticipate this SLR are elaborated here regarding technical, physical, and spatial aspects: Protect, Advance, and Accommodate. The overall objective was to explore the tools and measures that are available for adaptation, assess their spatial impacts, and identify dos and don’ts in current spatial issues like housing, climate adaptation, infrastructure, and the energy transition. Each elaboration was performed by a consortium consisting of representatives from private parties (engineering consultancy, project contractors, (landscape) architects, economists), knowledge institutes (including universities), and government, using an iterative process of model computations and design workshops. The elaborations made clear that a realistic and livable future perspective for the Dutch Delta continues to exist, even with a maximum analyzed SLR of 5 m, and will consist of a combination of elements from all three perspectives. This will require large investments and space for new and upgraded water infrastructure and will have large impacts on land use, water availability, agriculture, nature, residential buildings, shipping, and regional water systems. There is still a significant degree of uncertainty regarding future SLR; therefore, it is not advisable to make major investment decisions at this time. Nevertheless, some no-regret measures are already clear: continuation of the protection of the Randstad agglomeration (Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht) and its economic earning potential for future generations, adaptation of agriculture to more brackish and saline conditions, designation of space for additional future flood protection, extra storage capacity (for river discharge and increased precipitation), river discharge, and sand extraction (for future coastal maintenance). The research identified concrete actions for today’s decision-making processes, even though the time horizon of the analysis captures centuries. Including the perspectives in long term, policy planning is already necessary because the transition processes will take decades, if not more than a century, to be implemented.

PLANNING FOR COMMUNITY ADAPTATION TO THE RISK OF FOREIGN SHIP TRAFFIC ON INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING LANES IN THE INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO SEA ROUTE

The International Convention Law on the Sea, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1982, granted foreign-flagged ships the right to pass safely and smoothly through the Indonesian Archipelago Sea Route/Alur Laur Kepulauan Indonesia (ALKI). The density of the shipping lanes has triggered risks such as accidents and environmental pollution caused by ship exhaust carbon emissions. Therefore, this qualitative research aimed to determine the possibilities of coastal communities to adapt to the risk in accordance with the policy of ship traffic regulation with international shipping lanes through the Traffic Separation Scheme. There is still limited research on the community’s adaptation due to ship exhaust carbon emissions and the lack of adaptation actions taken in response to environmental pollution from foreign ship exhaust emissions. Adaptation efforts recommended include the preparation of collaborative measures and strategies to ensure the carbon management has a net zero emission value on foreign ship traffic in ALKI. The result showed that adaptation effort can be used to ensure Indonesians Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) can prevent global temperature rise from the shipping sector through carbon management, decarbonization, and energy transition programs.

Day-ahead and Reserve Prices in a Renewable-based Power System: Adapting Electricity-market Design for Energy Storage

Decarbonizing the power mix will require investments in storage and flexibility options to replace the current carbon-intensive supply of reserves. This paper questions whether reserve-capacity markets can serve as a capacity mechanism for flexible technologies. A fundamental model of the day-ahead and reserve markets is used to investigate the evolution of reserve prices with large shares of renewable energy and storage. The model represents the current market design in Continental Europe with a centralized supply and platforms for the exchange of reserves. By becoming the main suppliers of reserve capacity, batteries have a noticeable impact on reserve prices. Their flexibility implies zero opportunity cost most of the time, meaning that the flexibility is not rewarded by the market. These results suggest that reserve-capacity markets cannot provide additional remuneration for flexible technologies and, thus, do not solve the missing-money problem in the context of the energy transition. JEL Classification: Q41, Q47

Powering the pluriverse: Possibilities and limits to decolonial energy transitions in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, Mexico

In the face of the genocidal and ecocidal trajectory of climate change and “green” climate change solutions, overcoming the coloniality embodied in energy regimes is of the utmost importance. Because energy regimes are co-constitutive of power structures, energy transitions present opportunities to challenge and transform power structures of domination into more liberatory configurations of power. Through a situated analysis of the Energía para yeknemilis project, which is executed by the Union of Cooperatives Tosepan Titataniske in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, Mexico, we argue that energy transitions can articulate decolonial praxis. Based on eight months of collaborative participatory action research involving a researcher of European descent and the project's team of investigadores comunitaries sentipensantes, we make two contributions to the literature concerned with energy transitions and decolonial praxis. First, we provide empirical evidence to substantiate decolonial critiques of environmental, climate, and energy justice. Second, we propose that the Energía para yeknemilis project challenges the coloniality present in most of the current energy transition discourses and “green” transition projects. To do so, we discuss how the project contributes to constructing an Indigenous-led and rural energy regime oriented towards achieving energy sovereignty and realizing yeknemilis / xatlaan latamaat, which are local articulations of Buen Vivir. We also analyze some of the possibilities and limits to decolonial transformations in the Sierra Norte de Puebla that the Energía para yeknemilis project illustrates to strengthen the project and provide reflections for others struggling towards energy regimes that sustain life and power Indigenous self-determination and flourishing.

Framework for Investment in Electricity Distribution to Enable Energy Transition

The climate crisis, caused by the emission of greenhouse gases, requires urgent attention and the implementation of effective measures to mitigate it. Within this scenario, the energy transition, a shift from an energy matrix based on fossil fuels to one with low or zero carbon emissions, emerges as a fundamental strategy for neutralizing these emissions. Given this context, the main objective of this study is to propose and validate an investment model in distribution infrastructure to enable the integral and effective development of the energy transition in Brazil. To this end, a systematic review was conducted, which provided the necessary foundation for elaborating a model aimed at estimating the investment required in the distribution of electricity in Brazil, based on the variables identified in the literature. Through the Delphi method, this model was validated by experts. From this perspective, electric vehicles, distributed generation, energy storage, and demand response are key elements in this process. Given this scenario, the electric sector, particularly the distribution of electric power, plays a crucial role in enabling the energy transition.

Climate Change and Just Energy-Agrifood Transition: A View from Southeast Asia

ABSTRACT Discussions about just renewable energy transition tend to focus on helping workers in the energy sector and on creating decent and green jobs. However, given the close interconnections between climate change, inequality, energy transition and the agrifood sector, this article argues that the conceptualisation of just energy transition should be extended to “just energy-agrifood transition”, such that not only principles pertaining to energy justice but also to agrarian justice are considered in a comprehensive manner. From a political ecology and critical political economy perspective, and by drawing on examples from Southeast Asia, the article additionally proposes broad policy guidelines to help advance just energy-agrifood transition. This includes the promotion of universal access to energy and food, technical solutions embedded with progressive socio-economic goals, measures to address negative socio-environmental consequences of food-energy transitions, more egalitarian distribution of green jobs and productive resources, and ground-up approaches to socio-ecologically sustainable agrifood systems.

Full-Color Gamut White Light Emission From Mn-doped Cs3Cu2X5 Nanocrystals via Lattice Engineering.

Cs3Cu2X5-based lead-free material (X = Cl, Br, and I) nanocrystals (NCs) are promising eco-friendly materials for various optoelectronic applications. Although manganese (Mn2+) ion doping into Cs3Cu2X5 may widen the emission color gamut, incorporating them is challenging because of the robust tetrahedral [CuX4] and triangular [CuX3] structures. This paper addresses this challenge using a lattice engineering strategy, which induces appropriate lattice shrinkage by replacing I- with Cl- in the Cs3Cu2I5 NC structure. The promotion effect of Cl- substitution on the Mn2+ doping is confirmed by structural and chemical analysis, indicating the formation of highly crystalline NCs. The Mn-doping modifies the electronic structures of Cs3Cu2X5 by reducing the band gap energy and forming effective energy transition pathways. The emission range of the NCs is expanded from blue to orange and finally manifest full-color gamut white light emission. The continuous broad spectrum is attributed to the combined blue emission of self-trapped excitons and the yellow-orange emission of the Mn2+ d-d energy transition. A white light-emitting diode with Mn-doped Cs3Cu2X5 NCs as a color conversion layer exhibit stable white emission with CIE coordinates of (0.34, 0.32) and a correlated color temperature of 5010 K, closely matching daylight conditions and is applied as an intelligent artificial sunlight.

Afterlives of coal: land and transition dynamics in Central Appalachia

Abstract The US has witnessed unprecedented federal investments targeted to “energy communities” since 2021. Scholars, policy-makers, and activists have long sought to promote policies that ensure that energy transitions bring about just outcomes. However, emerging political frameworks for decarbonization and energy source transition frequently neglect to account for the role of incumbent actors in upholding long standing legal, economic, and political arrangements that produce uneven distributions of benefits and burdens in energy systems. In this paper, we reflect on ongoing energy transition efforts in Central Appalachia, sharing our experiences from community-based research documenting the localized effects of carbon forestry offsets, solar energy projects, and postmine land uses, such as prisons, that are structurally linked to concentrated land ownership and capture of federal investments by legacy actors who have long dominated local and regional extraction regimes. We argue that the success or failure of broad-based transition policies depends largely on place-based dynamics rooted in land: who controls the land, who has access to land, who benefits from investments in land, and how public revenues flow from land. Empirical analysis of the politics of land from the local vantage point offers insights into how elites who have historically controlled the extractive economy continue to shape the landscape, but also opens up different worlds of possibilities that emerge at different scales.

Agencies of transition: why German coal workers are not accepting an energy transition despite social provisions

Abstract This study explores the complexities of Germany’s energy transition, focusing on coal workers and their unions. Drawing from labor geography, the article examines how workers navigate the challenges of the coal phase-out. Despite strong union representation, co-determination rights, and negotiated economic provisions, coal workers express significant concerns about industry restructuring. These concerns are categorized into two main areas: personal futures and the broader societal impacts of the transition. Workers fear deindustrialization, social decline, and an exacerbation of austerity effects, leading to a prevalent rejection of Germany’s green transition. Additionally, a rightward political shift has been observed, which is linked to fears of social decline. This study highlights the importance of considering these factors in policy discussions, advocating for a just transition that addresses both the immediate material anxieties and the broader societal impacts experienced by workers.

The role of green finance in reshaping end-use energy consumption: insights from regional evidence in China

IntroductionGreen finance plays a pivotal role in the transition to a low-carbon economy by influencing energy consumption patterns. Despite growing interest in this area, the relationship between green finance and the optimization of end-use energy consumption remains underexplored, particularly in the context of regional disparities.MethodsThis study investigates the impact of green finance on end-use energy consumption structure across 30 provinces in China from 2014 to 2021. A system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) model and a panel threshold model are employed to analyze the relationship, incorporating nonlinearities and regional heterogeneities.ResultsThe findings indicate that green finance significantly reduces reliance on high-carbon energy sources and fosters cleaner energy consumption, particularly in provinces with advanced green financial systems. The effects are nonlinear, becoming evident only after green finance surpasses a certain threshold. Stronger impacts are observed in eastern regions due to mature financial infrastructures, whereas central and western regions experience comparatively weaker outcomes.DiscussionContrary to expectations, mediating factors such as industrial structure, energy efficiency, and green innovation have limited explanatory power for the observed impacts. These results highlight the need for tailored green financial policies and enhanced regional support mechanisms to accelerate sustainable energy transitions. This research underscores the transformative potential of green finance in energy governance and its contribution to achieving sustainable development goals.